ENCHANTED FOREST

"You want me to help you?" Rebekah croaked out a laugh. "You're not just evil, you're delusional, too."

Regina glared at her sister. "You do realize that I'm offering you freedom to roam around the palace?" It was a nice offer. But it wasn't one that Rebekah wanted. She wanted her family back.

"Oh, yes, I heard you." Rebekah moved to her vanity in the room Regina was now allowing her to stay in. "But I'd rather rot in my prison than help you."

Regina inhaled sharply. "Rebekah, you and Jefferson are the only ones who can make the hat work." She said the words in a sneer causing Rebekah to smirk.

"Maybe you shouldn't have deceived my husband and left him in Wonderland," she suggested, her hand moving to a brush on the vanity and began to comb through the tangles. She looked at her reflection, not recognizing the woman staring back at her. Rebekah had changed so much in the last few years but in the last week, something in her changed drastically. Her entire body vibrated with power and though it scared and confused her, Rebekah now saw it as an opportunity to get Jefferson back to Grace. She accepted her fate but if she could rescue her husband and get him back to Grace, at least they'd have a happily ever after together.

Rebekah wanted nothing more than to hold her daughter in her arms again, to have a tea party with the little girl. Not so little anymore, Rebekah had to remind herself. She missed her baby girl's 10th birthday, as did Jefferson.

She didn't blame him for falling for Regina's promises. If their situations were reversed, Rebekah would have done the same thing.

"You and I both know you despise Mother as much as I do," Regina said, breaking Rebekah away from her thoughts. "I need your help controlling the hat so that Hook can travel to Wonderland to kill her."

Rebekah inclined her head towards Regina. "Hook?"

"A pirate."

Rebekah laughed loudly at that. "You were the one who taught me to never trust a pirate, Regina. Why risk it?"

"Because I don't want there to be any chance for our mother to ruin my plans!" Regina stalked over to Rebekah, grabbing her roughly by the arm and pulling her out of her chair. "Now, will you help me or am I going to be forced to take your heart and order you to do so that way?"

Rebekah yanked her arm out of Regina's grip and glared at the evil woman. "Fine," she spat out. Composing herself rather quickly, Rebekah inhaled sharply before listing her demands. "I want to talk to this Hook before I agree to anything. I don't need him messing up my husband's hat. Unless you're permitting me to go with him?"

Now, Regina laughed. "You can have an audience with the pirate after he comes back."

Rebekah shrugged and walked away from Regina. "Looks like you're going to have to figure out how to work the hat yourself."

"Rebekah!" Regina seethed. "Don't test me. I will take your heart."

Rebekah rolled her eyes and turned to face Regina. "No, you won't. If you could, you would have done it already. But I believe there's still a small bit of my older sister who I once adored fighting to break free. She is not allowing you to take my heart and I'm willing to bet that she never will."

Regina squared her jaw, slowly walking to Rebekah, hand moved forward and ready to be of use. But the closer she got to her younger sister, the more her hand began to drop. Rebekah smirked and Regina huffed in irritation. "Fine," she scoffed. "Huntsman, bring in the pirate!" Regina shouted through the doors.

Rebekah gave Regina fake smile. "A little privacy please?"

Regina snorted, probably thinking that even if she gave Rebekah privacy for the pirate, she could easily eavesdrop. No, Rebekah thought, not anymore. Rebekah had been working with the Huntsman on one spell she remembered from her mother's book. A spell to keep others from eavesdropping on one's conversation. Regina left the room and soon the door was open again and Rebekah was not alone. She closed her eyes for a moment, mumbling the spell under her breath before looking over at the man on the floor. She walked past him and closed her bedroom door, the Huntsman giving her a worried look as she did so.

The man groaning on her floor certainly dressed like a pirate and the stench of ale that followed let Rebekah know that the man had quite the night. "I see my sister entertained you quite well," Rebekah said, walking over to the pirate and offering him her hand.

"Aye, though I'm not quite sure what I was drinking was simply ale." The pirate chuckled, grabbing hold of Rebekah's hand and letting her tug him up. "Not that I mind. It's been a long while since alcohol has ever had an effect on me." His eyes widened once he was standing straight and got a good look at Rebekah. "My, my," he chuckled, swaying back and forth as his hands moved to Rebekah's hips. "No wonder your sister keeps you locked away."

She ignored his words. "I have a proposition for you," Rebekah told him and the pirate smirked.

"I accept." He moved forward only to have Rebekah duck her head away from him as his mouth tried to chase hers.

"Not that kind of proposition." She tried to keep her voice calm and not let her anger get the best of her. The pirate laughed, letting his head drop back before he moved his hands up to her shoulders, his Hook gently scraping at her neck until it was running through her hair. She let him, because even though it disgusted her , she'd do just about anything to get Jefferson back to their daughter. "You're going to see the Queen of Hearts in Wonderland and I am the only one who can control your portal."

"Mmhm," Hook grinned, still leering at Rebekah. Even in the mad state she was in, this pirate seemed to enjoy her company. "I've been made aware of that, love."

"Good." She smiled. "Because the only way you're going through the portal is if you do as I say."

Hook raised his brow. "Is that so? And here I thought I was on orders from the queen?"

"You are." Rebekah nodded her head. "But I know my mother. She's more powerful than Regina and that's why she wants her dead. What I want from you is not to kill her but to bring someone back from Wonderland. You need to bring two dead bodies with you in the hat and rumor has it that you killed two guards a few days ago while in the tower."

"Impressed?" He grinned.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I want my husband back. Give this," Rebekah pulled a small mirror from her cleavage of her dress causing Hook to grin, "to my mother when she captures you. Because even if you are the best pirate in all the land, she'll outsmart you. There's a message I have for her and if Cora truly wants to survive this curse , she'll agree. When you come back, leave Jefferson in the hat. It will go with him to whichever land he chooses before getting back to our daughter."

"You're married, love?" Hook said with a smirk causing Rebekah to roll her eyes. "It seems I attract a certain type." He gave her a wolfish grin, leaning closer to her. Rebekah shoved the mirror in his pocket and when the door began to unlock, she gripped the pirate by his leathers and pressed her mouth to his, wanting Regina to believe that she was just a lonely woman desperate for touch and that she hadn't been plotting against her the entire time. His mouth tasted of stale wine and some sort of fruit.

Regina giggled and began to clap her hands. "Oh, if only your husband could see you now."

Rebekah pulled away from the pirate who again, chased after her mouth, and dropped her hands from his leather shirt and hurried to Regina. "I'm sorry." She forced tears to fall. "I'm just...I'm so lonely." She could see the Huntsman watching her carefully, not knowing her plan. It was safest that way. If he simply believed she was being unfaithful to her husband, word wouldn't get back to Regina through his heart.

"Sister, if you wanted that kind of time alone with the pirate you only needed to ask." Regina smirked, pinching her sister's cheek. "I would have happily given you more time with him. But we have a job to do." Regina turned and headed towards the door, a magical barrier disappearing as she did so. "Come along, little sister. You too, Hook."

Hook looked to Rebekah in confusion only to have her press her index finger to her lips. "Shh," she told him. The kiss, it seemed, had sobered him up completely. "Regina, there are a few more things I'll need for the pirate to travel," Rebekah said, trying to get Regina away. But of course, that wasn't going to happen.

"I'll send one of my guards," she told her sister. "Huntsman, get what my sister needs."

At least the Huntsman would be away and not one of the casualties who would surely perish when a fight broke out. The Huntsman left and Regina, Rebekah, and two guards carrying the body of a dead guard followed behind her.

"Same number of people who entered the hat must return, Hook," Rebekah told the pirate.

"Aye," the man said. "I'll be back with Cora's body." Rebekah watched as Hook patted his pocket, letting Rebekah know he remembered her orders.

"Hat?" Rebekah said, waiting for Regina to give it to her. "Don't do anything foolish and try to jump in, Rebekah."

Rebekah looked to Regina. "What would be the point? You'd just find me and bring me back."

Regina raised her brow in surprise. "Something you should have figured out sooner rather than later." Rebekah didn't say anything, she only waited for Regina to bring her the hat. When her sister lifted the hat from the bag, Rebekah inhaled sharply. Tears burned in her eyes and she felt a lump in her chest form. This hat was Jefferson. It was them. Rebekah took the hat from Regina, holding it close to her chest as she let her eyes close.

"Tick-tock," Hook said impatiently.

Rebekah inhaled deeply before bending over and setting the hat on the ground, giving it a good kick with her foot to bring the hat into a spin. She watched as the dark clouds appeared and the floor was quickly swallowed. The dead body dropped first and when a guard went to grab Rebekah, she shoved him in, too.

Hook jumped in and Rebekah raised her hand at Regina who came charging at her, sending a wave of energy her way that threw her into the nearest wall.

The floor closed and Regina shrieked. "How long?!" She shouted at her sister. "How long have you possessed magic?"

Rebekah simply shrugged and held out her hands, waiting to be brought back to her prison. "You little brat!" Regina seethed as a pair of pearl cuffs wrapped around her wrists. Regina snapped her fingers and a vile of liquid appeared. Regina tugged the cork off with her teeth and then dumped the liquid on Rebekah's cuffs. "Squid ink. The same kind Snow White is using to keep Rumpelstiltskin prisoner. Even if Hook double crosses me and returns with your husband he won't get close enough to save you. Not. This. Time , " she emphasized. "No," Regina smirked. "Because of your treachery this time; I am going to rip out his heart and crush it in front of you while your screams fill the tower."

No, no, she didn't think this through. "You won't." Rebekah shook her head, fear trembling in her voice. "You still have love for me and you wouldn't do the one thing that will make me hate you forever."

"Won't I?" Regina asked.

"You still love me, Regina," Rebekah said. "Just like you still love Daddy. Why else would you go through all the trouble to rescue him? Surely it wasn't just to hurt me. You already took me away from my child and husband. Was trapping Jefferson in Wonderland your only goal? No. You did it to save Daddy because there is still love in you." Her eyes filled with tears. "And if you love me, you won't kill Jefferson. You will let him come home to his daughter."

Regina glared at Rebekah, but tears filled her eyes as well. "I don't want to love you," she spoke honestly.

"I know," Rebekah replied. "But I'm your family. And so is my daughter. And she needs her father. I'll stay with you if that's what you need. I'll say goodbye to Jefferson all over again if that will bring you joy but please , don't kill him."

Regina inhaled a shaky breath and then motioned for her guards to take Rebekah back to the tower. "Away with her," she told them.

"Regina! Regina, please!" She screamed as they dragged her away. "Don't kill him, Regina! Please! I'm begging you! Please!"

Please don't take him from me all over again. I won't survive it.

_________________________________

Where am I?

Who are you?

Who am I?

Questions spun around his head as they ran through the portal. Who am I? Where am I? Who are you? Who are you? Where am I? Who am I?

"Will you shut him up!" a man said in annoyance. "Why that lass wants a nutcase of a husband back baffles me but I made a deal with her and I intend to keep it."

"You're going home, Hatter." Cora was in front of him and he looked around the room, feeling a sense of calm. The velvet curtains caused a wave of serene energy to pass through him. He was out -- he was out of Wonderland.

"You need to follow me, mate," the man said. Jefferson looked down at his hand. No hand. The other thing attached to his arm was a hook. "Your wife says to bring you to her."

"Bex?"

The man looked to Cora who nodded her head. "You've done your job, Hatter. Now you can go home."

Jefferson sighed happily.

"We have preparations to make but I can take you to your wife. She's eager to see you." The man told Jefferson. "You're still a bit out of it, aren't you?"

He opened his eyes wider, trying to be more focused. "Walk out that door and your wife will be waiting for you." Jefferson looked to the man who gave him an assuring smile. "You can trust me. I'm your friend." The man moved behind Jefferson and led him to the door to the Enchanted Forest and gave him a solid shove in the back. Friend. It had been so long since Jefferson had a friend.

When he was with Bex again, she'd get him straightened out; she'd clear his mind and he wouldn't be so mad. He just needed to get to her. He stumbled out of the portal but the hat didn't follow him like it normally did. He stumbled a bit and looked around, waiting for everyone to leave the portal but grew tired of waiting.

She's close. He could feel her. The closer he was to her the saner he felt.

I'm almost there, Bex.

But he was flung into a wall when he got to the tower, not even making it up the long staircase where Regina was keeping Rebekah. "No!" he shouted. Clouds of purple surrounded him and when he blinked, he was locked away in the dungeons. "Let me out!" He screamed, slamming into the bars over and over again to try and break through.

"Never trust a pirate, Jefferson." The man appeared next to Regina. "Cora, too, learned that lesson the hard way."

Regina smirked at the man and Jefferson pounded against the bars on his cell in the dungeon. "Oh, don't act like such a child, Jefferson. Soon enough we'll be in a new land where every person's memories are replaced."

"NO!" He yelled at Regina. "You won't take my memories!"

That made Regina chuckle. "That's actually a very good punishment." She grinned. "Living in a world where your child and wife have no idea who you are or what you are to them. Yes, I like that idea much more."

"She'll remember me, Regina!" Jefferson shouted at her. "Her heart knows mine!"

Regina mock winced. "For her sake; I hope that's not true," she told him. "Sleep well, brother-in-law. We'll be in a new land soon."

But he didn't sleep. He screamed his wife's name over and over again until he had no voice left. Remember me, Bex! Don't forget! Remember!

_________________________________

STORYBROOKE, Maine

Rebekah hurried into the house at the sound of glass shattering. She had passed David Nolan on her way to the house but after what he had done to Mary-Margaret, she refused to even glance at him. But she did wonder why the hell he was at Regina's house.

"Regina?" Rebekah said as she hurried through the house, finding her sister crumpled on the ground. Her eyes went to the shattered mirror behind Regina and then back to her older sister. "What happened?"

"I made a fool out of myself again." Regina choked out, half laughing, half crying. "You'd think I'd learn my lesson." She huffed, wiping away tears.

Rebekah frowned. If the last few days taught her anything, it was that family mattered. Spending the weekend with Henry and Paige made Rebekah nostalgic for the days that she was a little girl and Regina would play with her or read books to her. Rebekah had pictured Paige doing the same for her little brother and felt a terrible heartache knowing that since it was a closed adoption, Paige would never be made aware that she had a little brother or even a father who clearly still loved her. A father who it seems had a habit of abandoning his children.

She wanted to get back at Regina, to make her pay for what she did to Jefferson, but now Rebekah was beginning to realize that maybe Jefferson wasn't the illusion she made him out to be in her head or heart. Maybe the man just wasn't ready to be a father?

That's what made family so important to Rebekah. If she couldn't rely on Jefferson, she'd have to rely on the only family she had left. Emma and Mary-Margaret were still acting strangely around her and no matter how hard Ruby tried to convince Rebekah to give Jefferson another chance, that wouldn't bring him back from wherever he ran off to. Jane had checked the lower levels of the hospital where the mental institution was, even pulled up the files on Jefferson and saw that he had not been brought back in. She checked every room, every nook and cranny, any place they might have put Jefferson and he wasn't there.

Rebekah had gone to his house and saw the lights on and it was then she realized that he just didn't want anything to do with her. She felt a terrible pinch in her heart that nearly made her double over but once the tears stopped, a warm sensation filled her as her son began to wiggle around in her belly. You're not alone, a voice whispered. Not for long.

"I'm a pathetic fool." Regina sniffled.

Rebekah frowned. "No, you're not," she disagreed. "You just have poor taste in men." Rebekah reached out for Regina to grab her hand. "It must be a Mills trait."

Regina looked up at Rebekah, sniffling before grabbing her hand. "Why are you here?" she asked. "I thought you were done with me."

She chuckled. "Yeah, well I give one too many second chances, Regina," Rebekah told her, lifting Regina up.

Regina raised her brow but didn't say anything. She just wiped away her tears. "I have leftover lasagna if you'd like some."

Rebekah laughed. "Yes, please. This little boy has been screaming at me to eat something."

Regina's eyes widened. "What?"

"I said yes."

"You're having a boy?" she said with a genuine smile.

Rebekah smiled and nodded her head. "I figured Henry would have told you. He's not the greatest at keeping secrets."

Regina sighed. "Henry's not speaking to me at the moment."

Rebekah sighed. "He's a Mills. He's bound to forgive whatever you did now eventually."

Regina couldn't help but laugh as they walked into the kitchen. "I'm sure you're aware," she said in a more serious tone, "Jefferson escaped from the hospital."

"Yeah," Rebekah nodded her head and watched as Regina opened the refrigerator and pulled out the pan of lasagna. "I know."

"He was with you?"

"Just for a couple of days."

Regina sighed in frustration. "Rebekah."

"He's gone, Regina," she told her sister. Regina raised her brow waiting for Rebekah to continue on. "You were right about him -- he never wanted a family. Sure made me believe he did but...he ran so...that's the end of our epic love story."

"Well," Regina removed the foil from the pan and grabbed a large knife to cut a piece of lasagna for Rebekah. "He never deserved to hear those words from you." Regina grabbed a plate and placed a slice of the pasta on it.

"I love you?" Rebekah said back to Regina.

She nodded, handing Rebekah the plate. "Yes," Regina said. "Don't ever say those words to him It's not worth the hurt."

Rebekah inhaled deeply and nodded her head. "Well, I don't think he'll ever come around again so I don't have to worry about that." She dug into the lasagna with her fork. "And why humiliate myself anyway by saying something to him that he doesn't feel back?"

"Well." Regina watched as Rebekah took a bit of the lasagna. "I uh." She cleared her throat causing Rebekah to look over at her. She watched as Regina swallowed hard before saying, "I love you, Rebekah."

Rebekah blinked, a little taken back. "I...love you too, Regina."

Regina smiled wide. "Go on and eat," she told her. "I'll fix you up another piece since you're eating for you and your son now."

Rebekah chuckled and thanked Regina. When she finished her two slices of lasagna and a piece of cake Regina had earlier made, she left her older sister's home and drove to her own. And as she drove, Rebekah tried to recall a time that Regina had ever said those three words. I love you. Or, rather, said them and actually sounded like she meant it.

She pulled into her driveway, smiling as she caught a glimpse of her home only to stop when she saw someone sitting on her doorstep. Rebekah frowned, not recognizing the person from behind. Rebekah put her car in park and turned it off, locking it up before walking over to her porch.

"August?" She called out when she saw who it was. He was nursing a bottle of liquor, she assumed, that was hidden in a paper bag. And as she got closer the smell became overwhelming; she had to guess that it was tequila. "Why are you drunk and sitting on my porch?"

"Can't feel my leg," he told her with a slur. "It's all wood."

Rebekah quirked her brow in amusement. "Okay, Boozy, let's get up."

"I failed, Bex," August said as she grabbed onto his arm to try and pull him up.

"At staying sober? Yes. If that was your goal," Rebekah snarked.

"No," he nearly growled, yanking away from Rebekah ' s grip causing her to stumble backwards. Thankfully , she was able to grab hold of the railing to keep her from falling. "Ifailed. I failed my Dad, I failed Emma, Henry, you, Jefferson!"

"Whoa," Rebekah stopped him. "Jefferson? How have you failed him?"

"I told him that I'd get Emma to break the curse," August told her. "God knows his way didn't work."

"What?" She walked over to him. "What are you talking about, August?"

"The curse," August slurred. "I didn't get Emma to believe. You'll be cursed forever."

The curse? Henry's book? A flash of Jefferson at the hospital going on about how they were married and that they were all cursed came to her mind. "You and Jefferson think the curse is real?"

"We know it's real. Jefferson is your husband -- and that little girl you had over this weekend? Paige? Her name is Grace and she's your daughter."

"My daughter?" She swallowed hard. "Are you insane? Do you honestly think I would forget having a daughter?"

August glared and pushed himself off the porch. "Tell me you don't feel a connection to her. Tell me that she's just one of Henry's friends." Rebekah pressed her lips together in a thin line, frustrated with August. "See? You can't! Because she is your child. Your first!"

"Stop!" Rebekah said in anger. "Enough!"

"No!" August argued. "Remember!"

Remember me, Bex! Remember!

She shook the voices away before they could start to echo. "You are a crazy person!" Rebekah shouted at him.

"Yeah, well so is your husband. Just ask Emma and Mary-Margaret." August spat out. "Or have they not mentioned how he drugged and kidnapped them and held them hostage at gunpoint trying to force Emma to make a damn portal hat!"

Her breathing was starting to quicken. "You're lying."

"He's the Mad Hatter, Rebekah! Open your eyes!"

But her eyes closed and darkness overcame her. The last thing she heard was August shouting her name, begging her to wake up.

And then nothing.